North Charleston, SC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in North Charleston: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 2.4 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How North Charleston compares with South Carolina
North Charleston against South Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where North Charleston stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | North Charleston | South Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 94.6 | 61.6 | 49.7 | 1.5× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 2.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 38% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.70 | 0.64 | 0.49 | 1.1× the state |
| Garbage-truck share | 2.8% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 1.3× the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.2% | 0.4% | 6.2% | 48% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 32.3% | 24.0% | 23.7% | 1.3× the state |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 7.8% | 11.4% | 13.8% | 32% below the state |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 39.1% | 40.5% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 12.7% | 21.5% | 24.8% | 41% below the state |
North Charleston sits below South Carolina on deaths per 100 crashes, on snow, slush or ice and in rain, sleet or snow. Where it is higher: crashes per 100k residents / yr, injuries per crash and garbage-truck share.
North Charleston at a glance: I-26 deadliest road: 12 fatal truck crashes within 15 miles of North Charleston since 2015.
Overview
Since 2015, 1,334 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in North Charleston. They injured 934 people and killed 32.
In complete reporting years that works out to about one truck crash every 3 days.
When crashes happen
May has the most truck crashes, 10.4% of the yearly total, while July has the fewest (6.7%).
Winter months (Nov–Mar) carry 39.1% of truck crashes, vs 40.5% for South Carolina.
By time of day, 7–8 am stands out with 9.5% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.2% of truck crashes, compared with 0.4% in South Carolina.
Where crashes happen
Within this area, I-26 had the most fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015 (12). It is followed by US-17 (10), I-526 (4) and SR-7 (4).
Garbage & waste trucks
36 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 2.7% share (South Carolina: 2.1%).
Garbage-truck crashes peak in August (22% of them).
Deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes: 0.0, vs 2.4 for all truck crashes.
Route planning tips for North Charleston fleets
- Review driver schedules for May, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-26, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: August is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in North Charleston.
- Morning starts matter: 32.3% of truck crashes fall between 6 and 10 am, higher than South Carolina.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in North Charleston
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 15 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-26 | 12 |
| US-17 | 10 |
| I-526 | 4 |
| SR-7 | 4 |
| SR-642 | 3 |
| US-52 | 3 |
| US-78 | 3 |
| SR-16 | 2 |
| SR-165 | 2 |
| SR-33 | 2 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (North Charleston) |
|---|---|
| I-26 | 96 |
| Ashley Phosphate Rd | 67 |
| Remount Rd | 27 |
| W Montague Ave | 21 |
| Ladson Rd | 20 |
| N Rhett Ave | 19 |
| Azalea Dr | 17 |
| Palmetto Commerce Pkwy | 12 |
North Charleston at a glance
| Population | 126,005 |
| Land area | 78.0 sq mi |
| Density | 1,616 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 29404) | $54,716 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in North Charleston since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | — | — | 3.0 |
| 2000s | 0 | — | 3.9 |
| 2010s | 86 | +17000% | 3.8 |
| 2020s | 117 | +37% | 4.6 |
From the 2010s to the 2020s, yearly reported truck crashes went from 86 to 117. Some of the change may reflect how crashes were reported. NHTSA counts 5.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 4.6 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about North Charleston
How common are truck crashes in North Charleston?
North Charleston has had 1,334 reported truck crashes since 2015, injuring 934 people and killing 32.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in North Charleston?
I-26 had 12 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 15 miles of North Charleston since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in North Charleston?
Truck crashes in North Charleston peak in May, with 10.4% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in North Charleston?
36 crashes involving garbage or refuse trucks have been reported in North Charleston since 2015, 2.7% of all truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in North Charleston compared with South Carolina?
The yearly rate is 94.6 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in North Charleston, vs 61.6 for South Carolina.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in North Charleston?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.